Chapter 21: Doing What Is Right

Flamingo and Corbeau Noire were laying on the ground, both of them curled up in a ball, and shaking like leaves. Their minds were on fire, as all kinds of dark, stressful and scary thoughts flooded them, making it hard for them to think straight. They were both feeling like they had entered the world's most stressful rollercoaster, and they wanted out, but did not know how to do it. On top of it all, their hearts were racing, and they felt like they were struggling to get air in their lungs. They were both having a serious anxiety attack, splashed with a little bit of depression, which made it hard for them to see any way out of that predicament. They both wanted to help each other, but when thinking about a way to do so, numerous scenarios showed up in their minds, each worse than the other, where they failed to help one another. The girls tried to fight it, but the more they fought it, the stronger the bad thoughts became, making it hard for them to even breathe, much less think and move.

Watching them on the ground, Reptile and Brutus rejoiced, as they saw the heroines like that. Neither one, nor the other imagined that Mind Void's powers would be so powerful, that in a matter of seconds, and with only a single blow, she would get two heroines on their knees. All they could think of was that if Mind Void had managed to do that with Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, then the rest of the Miraculous Team would be easy prey for her.

"These two are down for the count." -Reptile said with a sadistic voice.

"I should feel pleasure in doing this. But I feel nothing. Absolutely nothing." -Mind Void said. –"Maybe if I continue to do it, I'll finally be able to feel something." -she sighed, as she walked away.

"What's with her?" -Reptile asked Brutus, never having seen an Akuma behaving that way.

"I think that the sorrow, the depression and all the other feelings that are inside her, are making it hard, for her to feel any kind of joy in doing the master's bidding." -Brutus said. –"It's a first for an Akuma. But it doesn't matter, really. All it matters is that she continues to use her powers to create chaos mayhem, and to deal with

"Got that right." -Reptile laughed sadistically. –"The birdies over there aren't going anywhere, anytime soon." -he said.

"Indeed. But let's not waste any more time. This is the perfect opportunity to get the miraculouses." -Brutus said.

"If you don't mind, I'll do the honours." -Reptile said, as he walked towards Flamingo and Corbeau Noire. –"Master Hawk Moth said that he wanted the miraculouses. But he never said anything about whether he wanted them attached to their owners, or not." -he laughed. –"I could easily pull them out and that would be the end of it. But I think I'm going to do something else; you know? I'm going to cut off the blondie's head, and take it as a souvenir, while with the raven girl, I'm going to gut her open like a fish, before removing her miraculous."

Holding his switchblade, Reptile kneeled by Flamingo's left side and was about to stab her on the neck, when he felt something hitting him on the mouth. Coming out of seemingly nowhere, a tonfa hit Reptile on the mouth, projecting him several meters in the air, before landing hard on the ground. And that tonfa belonged to none other than the holder of the turtle miraculous, Carapace.

On his way towards the location, he met Arachnid, who had also been warned by the Akuma Attack app. And just as they were both arriving, they saw their friends in dire danger, Carapace was forced to act quickly, so as to save them from Reptile, who was about to hurt them. Landing in front of the villains, he quickly cast an energy shield in front of Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, to protect them.

"Oh, no you don't, iguana breath!" -Carapace said, as the tonfa that he had shot at Reptile's head, returned to him. –"You're not hurting our friends tonight." -he said, as he turned to Arachnid, who had just landed on the ground. –"Get them out of here! I'll cover you."

"You got it." -Arachnid said, as he lassoed the Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, and pulled them to him. With them secured, he once again used his lasso to get out of there.

"You think… you can do this and get away with it?!" -Reptile growled at Carapace, before spitting a broken tooth. –"Another molar… do you know just how long those take to grow back?!" -he growled again at the turtle hero.

"I wouldn't know. I'm not a freak like you, Reptile." -Carapace shot at the lizard man.

"You're going to regret throwing that stupid weapon of yours at my face, kid!" -Reptile said, as he spat blood onto the floor.

"I don't think so. You, on the other hand, will probably regret leaving your master's hideout, wherever it is, once the Akuma has been defeated." -Carapace told him. –"Speaking of which, where's the Akuma? Or don't tell me it's just the two of you tonight? Because if it is, then your boss is clearly losing his touch." -he said, as his eyes looked around, not seeing any sign of the Akuma.

"No, our master has created an Akuma that will surely end you. You and Arachnid already saw what it can do, on your fellow companions." -Brutus declared. –"You and your friends don't stand a chance this time, Carapace." -he told him.

"Oh, yeah? Then where is that Akuma? Because I can't see it." -Carapace asked Brutus, as his eyes continued to survey his surroundings.

"You are about to meet her." -Brutus told him. –"Mind Void, show yourself." -he ordered her, not seeing her either.

"Mind Void?" -Carapace asked, wondering what the Akuma with a name like that, would look like.

"Behind you…" -Mind Void said, with a gloomy voice.

Mind Void showed up out of nowhere, behind Carapace and startled him. But he was not the only one who was startled by it. Reptile and Brutus did not expect her to show up all of a sudden like that. Carapace did not know how she did that, because he had his back to her. But Hawk Moth's lieutenants saw the whole thing. Mind Void seemingly had the ability to turn herself into a sort of mist. They had seen Madame Romani before, but this was the first time an Akuma showed such an ability.

"So… sneaking up on me. That's a neat trick." -Carapace said, as he looked at Mind Void. –"So, what kind of powers do you have?" -he asked her.

"Feel my suffering…" -Mind Void sighed, as she fired a ray of black translucent energy at Carapace, who dodged it.

"Oh, so that's it, huh? You shoot energy from your hands, huh?" -Carapace said. –"I don't know why, but this Akuma is giving me vibes that dealing with it, won't be a walk through the park. I hope Alya and some of the others get here, quickly, because with Rose and Juleka down for now, Max and I might not be able to handle this on our own." -he thought to himself, while placing himself into a defensive stance. –"Okay, let's see what else you've got!"

With the battle unfolding, Ladybug and Chat Noir were running on top of the rooftops of Paris, to get where it was all happening. They had no idea of what kind of Akuma they were going to face that night. As they tried to find a safe place to transform, they checked the Miraculous Blog and every other major website for any sort of clue that could help them prepare for what they were going to face. But for once, there was no kind of information regarding the Akuma. Still, even without knowing what awaited them, they transformed and raced to the location where the Akuma had showed up, which was the only piece of information they had.

But at the same time, they could not help but to feel that by going after the Akuma, they were neglecting Chloe, who they believed needed them more, than their friends, who would go after the Akuma. After what happened to her, they believed she ought to have people who truly loved her, surrounding her. They had left Sabrina to keep an eye on her, knowing that she would do a good job. But still, it made them feel like they were doing the wrong thing, fighting the Akuma.

As she jumped over the ledge of a building, landing safely on the following one, Ladybug could not help but to think once again, that if anyone had asked her, a year before, if she would feel sad for Chloe, if she got herself into some kind of trouble, she would have answered that whatever happened to the blonde, it was because she deserved it. That kind of thought reminded her that it had not been just Chloe who had changed for the better, but she herself, had also changed, becoming more mature. And all that, made her feel that more important than stopping an Akuma, was to remain by a friend's side, when that friend needed emotional support.

"I feel bad for leaving Chloe like that." -Ladybug told Chat Noir.

"You're not the only one, milady. I didn't like leaving her like that, either." -Chat Noir sighed, as he leaped between buildings. –"But Sabrina stayed with her, to keep her company. Also, Chloe's tough. She'll be bounce back." -he assured her.

Another thing that was on their minds, was what was going to happen to Chloe. It was obvious that she was going to be punished. There was no way she would be able to get away with what she had done. Not even the old Chloe would be able to do it. The real question was, how would she be punished, and for how long?

"What do you think her mom's going to tell her, when she goes back to the hotel?" -Ladybug asked Chat.

"Hard to say. I mean, it won't be something nice. That I'm sure of." -Chat Noir said. –"She yelled at her in front of everybody. I'm even afraid that she will send her to a boarding school, after this." -he admitted

"Do you think she will?" -Ladybug asked him.

"Maybe, maybe not. If it was up to Chloe's mom, she would be sent to a boarding school, tonight. But I'm sure her dad will convince her mom, not to do that. Still, she's going to get grounded." -Chat Noir told her.

"You're right. Scolding and yelling at your mom, and telling her she's a lousy mother, will get you grounded for sure. Even if what you said was the truth." -Ladybug agreed, grimly. –"Also, even if she's not sent to a boarding school, I think that whatever punishment awaits Chloe, it's going to be extremely severe. Chloe's mom was humiliated in front of everyone at the party. Not only that, but her reputation was definitely tarnished. I can see the headlines tomorrow, and they won't be pretty." -she told him.

"You're right. She was pretty humiliated. But I don't think that will happen. Given how everything happened and where it happened, her reputation is safe. That I'm sure of." -Chat told her.

"What do you mean?!" -Ladybug asked him. –"You were there, when it happened. There's no way Chloe's mom will ever be able to come up with a proper excuse to explain that kind of behaviour she had towards her." -she said.

"If this had been a public event, I can guarantee you that Chloe's mom reputation, would have gone with the dogs." -Chat said. –"But this was a private event. And I can tell you this, the people that attend the gala, aren't the kind to film scenes like this with their cell phones and then post them online. Also, I don't think the hotel's staff would do that either, because if they did that, someone would find out, and they would surely be fired. Chloe's mom would make sure of that, and in case you never noticed it, everyone who works in that hotel, is scared of her." -he said. –"Also, the odds of what truly happened, transpire to the public, are very, very low."

"So, you're saying, that nobody will even know about the fight between Chloe and her mom? Is that it?" -Ladybug asked, skeptic about it. –"Sorry for telling you this, Adrien, but there's no way they can hide something this big. It will come to light, sooner or later." -she said.

"I didn't say that it would never come out. I just said that it would not come out as it truly happened. You saw that outside the hotel there were numerous photographers and journalists, who were forbidden to enter the hotel. But even not being able to enter, they're bound to find out something happened. But they will probably not come even close to what happened, because no one will talk. The guests won't talk, and neither will the staff, afraid of losing their jobs… not even the photographers Chloe's mom hired to photograph the gala. Just like it happens with the hotel's staff, they know she can end their careers with one phone call. They aren't stupid." -Chat told her. –"I can tell you this. The version of the events that will come out, will be nothing like the real deal." -he declared. –"I've seen this happening once or twice before. Because people don't talk, they come up with a story that doesn't even cover a quarter of the truth, while the real thing gets swept under the rug, and eventually, forgotten. The status quo must be protected. In the end, the whole thing between Chloe and her mom will be turned into a small argument between the two of them, and that will be the end of that."

It was hard for Ladybug to even think, much less accept, that such a thing could happen. She was no fool. She knew that when it came to rich and poor, there were certain situations, where there were rules that applied themselves to the rich, and that did not apply to the poor, and vice-versa. And money always helped. The richer a person was, the more certain rules did not apply to it. But still, it did not feel right. Audrey had humiliated and mistreated Chloe, and that should not go unpunished. She deserved to be exposed for what happened.

"A small argument?!" -Ladybug asked him.

"I know, it's crazy…" -Chat told her. –"But it's to be expected, when it comes to high society. For every scandal or crazy story, you know about in the press or any magazine there is, there are ten or twenty that no one ever knows about." -he said.

"Even so, it doesn't feel right. People should know just how awful Chloe's mom really is." -Ladybug said.

"I'm with you on that one. They should definitely see her for what she truly is." -Chat Noir stated. –"But realistically, what would that do? She's got a reputation, and people tend to believe that certain people aren't capable of doing certain things, even if there are proof of it. How do you think there are so many movie stars, musicians and even politicians that when a scandal breaks out, most of the times, they manage to get away with it, or at the most, with a slap on their wrists? Because some people don't want to believe in what they saw or heard." -he told her.

"You're right. Some people believe in what they want, not in facts. They don't accept them, because the facts don't add up to any theories they might have cooked up in their heads." -Ladybug sighed. –"If that wasn't the case, that disgusting creep Ambroise Delay, would be out of a job." -she cursed him. –"It's partly because of him that all of this happened tonight."

"It's true. If he hadn't started to badmouth us, Chloe wouldn't have started arguing with him, and her parents wouldn't have showed up to see what was going on, and she wouldn't have argued with her mom." -Chat agreed. –"But honestly, I think that what happened between Chloe and her mom, would have happened sooner or later. They were both at a breaking point. Sooner or later, it was going to happen." -he sighed, as he remembered the fight.

"I guess you're right." -Ladybug sighed. –"Now, more than ever I wish I could do something to help Chloe." -she declared, as she leaped over a chimney. –"From all the powers I have, I wish one of them would allow me to travel back in time and prevent her from starting arguing with that creep… I know it wouldn't help much, but at least she wouldn't have her night ruined like this."

"Don't beat yourself up, because of it, Marinette." -Chat told her, as they both picked up the pace, running as fast as they could. –"There's no point in dwelling on what could have been done. All that matters is that you were there for her, when she needed you the most, just like me and Sabrina." -he said, as he looked her in the eyes.

"Maybe, Adrien… but still, I wish I could more. Maybe we could… no, just forget it." -Ladybug told him.

"You were going to suggest we be the ones telling the press what happened, weren't you?" -Chat Noir asked her, as they both leaped over another chimney.

"I was going to suggest that. But then I remembered that that could get the two of us into trouble with your dad, if it was revealed that it was us who exposed Audrey." -Ladybug sighed. –"And trouble's the last thing I want to get you into." -she smiled at Chat Noir.

"It's okay, Marinette… I know just how much you want things to be fair. But sometimes the world doesn't want to be fair, without any kind of consequences. This is one of those times." -Chat Noir smiled back at her. –"Still, I believe that one of these days, she'll get what she deserves. But more importantly, what truly matters here is being by our friend's side. Helping her feel better is better than teaching that witch a lesson." -he said.

"You're right. Making sure Chloe is well, is way more important than punishing her mom, for what she said and did to her." -Ladybug agreed.

After Marinette and Adrien left to feal with the Akuma, Chloe tried to convince Sabrina to also join them, by telling her that she should go help fighting the Akuma and that she would be okay. The truth was she felt like she needed to be alone. She had loved the fact that her friends tried to cheer her up, but right then, she felt she needed to be alone with her thoughts. But that was not going to happen, as Sabrina had decided that she was more needed there.

Sitting on the floor in silence, side by side, the girls saw another bateau mouche pass by in the Seine. There was something to those boats that made it watching them running up and down the river, one of the most relaxing things a person could watch in Paris. And that was just what Chloe needed right then. Her mind was an even bigger mess than her make-up. Even after hearing all the sweet, kind and nice words her friends had told her, she still felt down. But she did not want Sabrina to know it, so she tried her best to conceal it.

"You really didn't need to stay." -Chloe said.

"I wasn't going to leave you behind, alone." -Sabrina declared. –"I know that you don't like to be alone, even when you say that you want to be alone." -she smiled at the blonde.

"Pollen would have kept me company." -Chloe said, forcing herself to smile back at Sabrina.

"I know that." – Sabrina said. –"But I'm sure that even she agrees with me that right now, you shouldn't just have a kwami keeping you company." -she said, as she placed her left arm around Chloe's waist, pulling her closer to her.

"She's right. And Sabrina's the perfect person for the job." -Pollen said. She and Mika had decided to hide inside Sabrina's pochette, in case someone showed up out of nowhere, and saw them.

"As if that was hard. You two sometimes act like you're two peas in a pod." -Mika declared.

"Well, it's true… But it wasn't always like that." -Chloe declared. –"We weren't always like two peas in a pod. I used to boss you around, even though you were my best-friend." -she sighed, with a sad voice.

"True. But what matters is that things are better now." -Sabrina told her. –"And Chloe, if you want a piece of advice, you need to try a little harder, and put the past behind you. Remembering about the past all the time, it's not a good thing, especially when the past is so hurtful and sad." -she smiled. –"And before you tell me it's hard, I know it is. But you need to try, especially when the present is what it counts."

Once again, Sabrina knew what to say to Chloe. The way she juggled the words, made her best-friend wonder if she sometimes practiced that kind of speeches in front of a mirror, for occasions such as that one, or if it was something, she came up with them in the heat of the moment. And the truth was, she came up with them on the spot. She was good with words. But more importantly, she knew just how Chloe's mind worked most of the time, and knowing that, she knew what to tell her, to help her with whatever dilemma she had.

"Sabrina always knows what to say. Can't believe that I sometimes treated her like an errand-girl, and not like my best-friend." -Chloe thought to herself. –"And there I go again! Just like she was telling me. I keep remembering about the past, when I should be focused on the present." -she thought. –"I know, I know… but it's hard, Sabrina. I don't want to think about the past, but it keeps popping up in my head, reminding me about all the bad things I did. Not just to you, but everyone. I was such a selfish, self-absorbed, evil person…"

"There you go again, with that speech of yours, Chloe." -Sabrina sighed. –"Don't say that. Saying those things, only remind you of who you were. By not saying them, you don't give those bad memories a chance to pop up in your head." -she told her.

"I know, I know… and once more, you're right. But it's so hard not to do it." -Chloe sighed, despondent. –"It's like trying to ignore a part of me." -she said, as she shed a tear.

"Like I said before, I know it's hard. But hear me out." -Sabrina looked her in the eyes. –"Even with her make-up all smudged and her eyes all-red, she still looks so beautiful… no, Sabrina, this isn't the time to have those thoughts! There will be a moment to talk about those, when we're Focus!" -she thought, forcing herself to repress those thoughts. –"What you're going through, isn't easy. But you don't have to do it alone. You've got Pollen, you've got me, and you've got all of our friends by your side. You just need to remember that even though you haven't put all the bad things you've done in the past, behind you, we have, and we're here to remind you of that. The people that truly care about you, don't care about what you did in the past. They just care about what you do in the present."

Pollen and Mika watched as the girls continued to talk. They had silently agreed with one another, to not intervene, unless it was absolutely necessary. They both believed that that was one conversation, where even the wisest of kwamis had no business to meddle in. That was a conversation the girls needed to have, just the two of them.

"Thanks." -Chloe thanked Sabrina.

"For what?" -Sabrina asked her.

"For everything." -Chloe told her. –"For being my consciousness… for reminding me of stuff I should already know by now… for never giving up on me… for always being there for me… for being my best-friend… for being the sister I never had…" -she declared, speaking the last part in a whisper. –"In sum, I'm thanking you, for being the way you are, Sabrina."

"You don't need to thank me for that." -Sabrina said. –"And… I know you wanted to be alone with your thoughts, but after what happened, I couldn't leave you alone, Chloe." -she confessed. –"I don't think you should be by yourself and remember about what happened alone."

"You're afraid I'll do something stupid?" -Chloe asked her.

"No… I mean, yes… I mean, no… I mean… I know you, Chloe. You have many qualities, but you also have many flaws, like everyone else. And one of yours flaws, is that you sometimes allow your feelings to get the best of you." -Sabrina said. –"And I fear that if you allow those feelings to fully control you, you'll do something stupid… sorry, if I'm being a little blunt about it, but I worry about you." -she apologized to her.

"In others words, you want to make sure that I don't go back to the hotel, and make things worse for myself." -Chloe sighed. –"I think that's a reasonable reason for you to want to stick around me." -she told her.

"Sorry. I didn't want to be so blunt about it, but…" -Sabrina apologized to her, again.

"Don't apologize, you're right. If I went back to the hotel right about now, I'd probably make things worse for me." -Chloe sighed. –"Also, I'm not ready to face my parents. Because when I do, they're going to ground me for the rest of my life, and I'll probably yell at my mom a little more, telling her that I hate her even more than anyone can imagine." -she admitted. –"The longer it takes for me to go back, the better."

"Your dad's not going to allow your mom to ground you for the rest of your life, Chloe. That I know." -Sabrina tried to reassure her.

"I don't know about that… after what I said, I can imagine my dad being on my mom's side." -Chloe sighed. –"Still, doesn't matter if he's on her side or not. Every last word I yelled at her, it was the purest of truths." -she declared, as she shed a tear. –"And I'm not going to apologize to her, even if one of them, or both of them force me to. What I told my mother, I should have told her years ago… but I was too obsessed with copying her and acting like her, just hoping she noticed me, to realize just how much of a witch she has always been."

"You were another person back then. Don't beat yourself over it, Chloe." -Sabrina begged her. –"Look, let's not talk about that now." -she suggested her, trying to change the subject, so she would feel better about herself. –"Let's talk about something else."

"You're right. Let's talk about something else." -Chloe told her, as she tried to think of another subject. There was a brief silence between them, before she talked again. –"I can't… I can't think of anything." -she sighed, feeling down about it. –"I've got too much rage inside me, and that's interfering with my thoughts."

"Maybe I could talk to her about what's been going on with me, and this… this crush I seemingly have on her…. I know it's not the perfect moment, but she clearly needs to calm down and to think of something else that isn't her mom." -Sabrina thought to herself. –"But what if with all this rage inside her, she takes this crush I might have on her as an insult? No, stop thinking about it that way, Sabrina! Remember, this is probably just in your head, and it doesn't really mean anything… but what if does? Oh, stop it! You can't be in love with your best-friend! She's a girl… you're a girl… but then, there's nothing wrong about that. No! Chloe likes boys, and so do you!... but what if I also like girls?! Now, I'm confused!" -she thought to herself. –"Oh, stop it! Chloe's your best-friend and you need to cheer her up. And you won't be able to do it, if you tell her that you have a crush on her! Just think of another subject and start talking about it! You'll talk to her about this, some other time!"

"You know what, Sabrina?" -Chloe asked the redhead, preventing her from talking. –"I know of only one way to get rid of this damn rage that is boiling inside me. And that is to punch someone." -she said. –"Let's go and help the others, so I can make use of this rage and kick some Akuma butt."

"Are you sure about it?" -Sabrina asked her.

"I am. Also, if I stay here, I know I'll start crying again out of rage, sooner or later, and I don't want to." -Chloe declared. –"I'd rather use put this rage to good use, instead of just wailing in self-pity." -she said.

"Well, if you're sure about that, then, I'm right behind you, Chloe." -Sabrina said. –"I'm not going to let my partner have all the fun." -she smiled at the blonde.

"I know you wouldn't. You have too much fun freezing Akumas." -Chloe said.

But just as they were about to get up, Sabrina's cell phone rang, warning her that she had received a text. Quickly, Mika handed her the cell phone, and she saw that the one who had texted her, had been her mom.

"Sorry, it's my mom. She's texting me, to know if I'm having fun and to know how the party's going." -Sabrina commented, as she texted her back. –"Yes, I'm having fun. Party is going well. Tell you everything later. Lots of kisses." -she quickly texted her back. –"My mom really knows how to pick the worst moments to call or text me."

"At least, yours still cares about you." -Chloe said, her voice revealing the sadness inside her heart.

"I'm sorry, Chloe. I didn't mean to…" -Sabrina apologized to the blonde, the moment she realized what she had said.

"No, it's okay." -Chloe said, forcing a smile. –"The last thing I want is for you to also feel sad, Sabrina. It's bad enough that I'm feeling sad. If I can prevent you from feeling sad, then I'll be able to say that this night wasn't a collective failure." -she thought to herself. –"Now, come on, let's go. We've got to go and help the others."

After grabbing Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, Arachnid quickly looked for a safe place to check on them and see what exactly was wrong with them. Because he was not one of the fastest members of the Miraculous Team, he knew that if one of Hawk Moth's lieutenants decided to follow him, there were good chances that it would be able to catch up to him. So, carrying the girls, and not being incredibly fast, he had to rely on his wits. As he reached the rooftops, he went left, while looking over his shoulder, to make sure that he was not being followed. He knew that Carapace would keep Reptile on the ground, but he did not know if he would be able to do the same with Brutus, as well as the Akuma, which he had not seen yet.

About twenty seconds later, he found a place where he could check on the girls, behind what looked like half-built water tank. Laying them on the ground, he observed, as the girls continued to shake. They had also begun to mumble some words thar he could not understand at first. But after listening to them, he understood that they were both talking his name, along with a couple of more words that seemed like "fear", "scared" and "afraid".

"What am I going to do?!" -Arachnid asked himself. –"They don't look well, and I don't know what to do." -he thought. –"Calm down, Max. We need to think rationally, here. Rose and Juleka don't seem like they are physically hurt, but they are in a bundle of nerves, and definitely in pain because of it What can I do? What can I do to help them? Come on, Max, there's got to be something you can do. You've read so much and know so much; there's go to be some piece of knowledge in this big head of yours that you can use to help your friends!"

The girls continued to shake, so Arachnid did the only thing he could think of. He decided to hug them. He had read on numerous books and articles, that when people became nervous, one of the things that helps them was to give them some comfort and reassuring them that everything will be alright. And that could be done with either with words, or gestures, and the most natural gesture for that kind of situation was a hug. Thinking that words would not be enough, he opted to use both words and gestures. Hugging one, and then the other, he held them in his arms, whispering calm and soothing words. At first, it seemed like it was not working. But he did not give up, and continued to hug them and talk to them. Hugging them and talking to them in turn, he felt just how shook up they both were. And after a minute or two, they started to calm down. Gently lying them on the floor, Arachnid waited for them to be the ones to talk when they felt they were ready to do so.

"Huh… m-my head… my chest…" -Flamingo complained, as she rubbed her chest with her left hand.

"W-What happened?" -Corbeau Noire asked, as she attempted to sit down, her head still feeling like it had been used as a punching bag.

"I don't know exactly. When Nino and I arrived, you two were on the ground, all curled up and shaking like there was no tomorrow." -Arachnid told her. –"And it was not easy bringing you girls back from wherever your minds took you to." -he confessed.

"I-It was that Akuma." -Flamingo said. –"She did s-something to us." -she declared.

"Y-Yes, she did. You were hit by some kind of energy beam, and then, I must have been hit with it too." -Corbeau Noire said, shivering in fear. –"O-One second, I'm fine, and the next one, my mind goes to a really dark place, my heart starts beating of pace and… God, it was such a horrible experience." -she sighed. –"I don't think I want to feel like that, ever again."

"Me neither. It was bad enough feeling that way once. I don't want to repeat the experience." -Flamingo said.

"I think she made you girls have a severe anxiety attack." -Arachnid told them. –"I'm not an expert on that, but from what I read and from what I've seen, you girls were displaying every symptom people usually have, when having an anxiety or a panic attack. Only yours was amplified by the Akuma's powers." -he said.

"T-That makes sense. It explains why I was having so much difficulty processing any thoughts, while also not being able to breathe normally." -Corbeau Noire declared, as she took a deep breath. –"I still feel my heart pounding like a maniac, inside my chest." -she sighed, hoping her heart rate would slow down, quickly.

"So do I." -Flamingo said, as she hugged the raven heroine, seeking comfort in her. –"It feels like I have a sledgehammer inside my chest… here, feel it." -she said, as she gently grabbed Corbeau's left hand and placed it on top of her chest. –"See? And if it was just that, it wouldn't be that bad. But I'm still having horrible thoughts."

"It's alright, Rose. I'm here, and everything's going to be fine." -Corbeau Noire told her, trying to calm her down, though she herself was fighting the same kind of horrible thoughts the blonde was.

Just by looking at them, Arachnid could tell that they had gone through a rough patch, in a matter of minutes.

"Thanks for saving us, Max." -Flamingo thanked him.

"Don't mention it." -Arachnid said. –"You would've done the same thing for me." -he smiled at her.

"Absolutely. But that doesn't invalidate the fact that you saved us. You and Nino, of course." -Corbeau Noire told him.

"Thanks, again. And now that you girls seem to be reasonably okay, you better stay here, and rest, until you feel you're A-OK." -Arachnid told them. –"I'm going to go down there and help Nino." -he said.

"Be careful." -Flamingo said.

"As always." -Arachnid said, as he performed a somersault, before running to the building's ledge and then jumped out of it.

When they saw the spider hero disappear to go fight the Akuma, the girls could not help feeling like they had been sidelined. On one hand, they were both relieved for not having to be face to face with the Akuma. But on the other hand, they both felt like they had been taken out of the game too soon. Flamingo did not mind about it. After what happened, she was a bit reluctant to go back into action so soon. But Corbeau Noire did mind. And it was not because she had been attacked by the Akuma. Other Akumas had attacked her before. It was because she did not get the chance to fight back. And that was making her feel like she had not done enough.

Holding Flamingo in her arms, Corbeau tried not to let that bother her, but it was no use. The raven heroine was not a girl who ignored things. And the more she tried to do so, the harder the urge to do the opposite became.

"You know… it's not fair for us to stay here." -Corbeau Noire told Flamingo. –"We have to go back down there, and help them deal with that Akuma." -she said.

"But Max told us we should stay here, Juleka." -Flamingo said. –"Don't you think we should do what he told us? I mean, I'm still feeling a little shaken." -she told her.

"I'm still a little shaken myself, but once I'm up in the air again, I'm sure everything will be just peachy." -Corbeau Noire declared.

"But if we get hit by one of its attacks, we might… Juleka, I'm sorry to say this, but I'm afraid." -Flamingo told her, her voice trembling.

"I know you're afraid, Rose. But being afraid never helped anyone." –Corbeau Noire said. –"And besides, Max and Nino need our help. We can't let them to deal with that Akuma on their own." -she said.

"Can't we just stay here for a little longer? I'm sure some of the others will show up to lend Max and Nino a hand soon." -Flamingo asked her, trying to convince her stay hidden, just a little longer.

"No, we have to go. By the time one of the others might show up, Max and Nino could already be dead." -Corbeau Noire told her girlfriend. –"Just like me, you felt what that Akuma can do to a person. And I don't want anyone else to experience it." -she said. –"That's why we need to go and fight it, so no one else, including our friends, have to feel what you and I felt."

She was afraid. There were no two ways about it. Flamingo did not want to go back into battle. She did not want to feel what she felt, after Mind Void attacked her, again. Deep inside, she just wanted to stay there, where it was safe, until the others had dealt with the Akuma. But she knew she had to ignore that wish of hers, and get back into battle. She owed it to her friends to be there, and help them. That was the part of being a superhero the blonde hated sometimes. Still, even hating it, she was going to do it, because she knew it was the right thing to do. Also, she was not going to let her girlfriend go back into the battlefield alone. If something happened to her, she would never forgive herself for not being there, when she could have been.

"You're right, as always, Juleka." -Flamingo smiled, before kissing her. –"You always know what to say." -she said, as she caressed her face with her fingers.

"Maybe. But you're also a great listener. And I know that like all of us, you don't want fear to get the best of you." -Corbeau Noire said, kissing her back. –"Now, come on. Let's go help them, until some of the others get here." -she said, as they both got up. –"I know you're afraid, but remember this, Rose. I've got your back, no matter what."

"And I've got yours, Juleka." -Flamingo declared, with a smile on her face. –"But remember, be careful. Don't let that Akuma hit you again." -she said.

"Same thing to you." -Corbeau Noire smiled.

I am so sorry if I kept you waiting for this chapter for a little longer than I wanted to, but I have to admit that this was not an easy chapter to write. So many things happening. I think the hardest part for me to write was definitely the conversation between Ladybug and Chat Noir... I wanted it to feel authentic, and as for the theme of said conversation, I did a little research on it, and unfortunately, what I wrote is the truth. There are a lot of things that happen in that sort of party that people never truly find out, or when they find out abotu them, years have gone by and then nobody cares anymore.

Anyways, things are about to get rough for our heroes, as the battle begins, and they are about to find out that defeating Mind Void, might not be as easy as they thought. Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to a very good friend of mine, Ana Catarina Lascas aka. Tsuna, who's like a little sister to me. She's among the people who helps me with these fics, and today is her 27th birthday.

Also, Cerumoce has posted in her DA page, as well as in her Instagram, the latest commission I asked her, which was the winter outfits for Chloe and Sabrina, as Queen Bee and Louve Grise. Check it out if you want to. You won't regret it. As always, she did a beautiful work.

As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, or future ones.